#[ tldr I don't think Lorenz has the. self-awareness to know when he's jealous and it's not at all frequent but It's There ]

[thyrosus]

marigold :   is your muse prone to jealousy ?how might they handle envious feelings ?

                                      BOTANICAL ASKS / NOT ACCEPTING. 🌹

ON THE SURFACE: no. One aspect of Lorenz I think is genuinely one of my favorite parts of his character is that his confidence isn't an act. He truly believes himself to be the pinnacle of nobility, and a paragon of everything he proclaims to stand for. There's an earnestness to his proclamations that borders on humorous, and an instinct to cringe at the lack of self-awareness he sometimes shows to the way he's perceived, especially by characters that aren't nobility.

But that earnestness means that he rarely covets the talents or possessions of others. If anything, others should feel jealous of him, for they have not been born as the heir to House Gloucester!

BELOW THE SURFACE: Lorenz is only human. While I do think that his rare streak of self-assurance shields him from a lot of jealous thoughts, I don't think he's immune. There are two places in particular where I think jealousy is most likely to take root:

Leadership skills. I don't think it's controversial to say Lorenz's heavy hand, rigid beliefs, and lack of self-awareness means that his leadership skills need work. He's young, and even if he can navigate social situations with ease, he doesn't yet have the life experience and skills of self-reflection to inspire a lot of confidence in others that aren't predisposed to liking him. I do think there's a certain jealous streak to some of his dialogue with Claude, even if I don't think he'd ever admit it, least of all to himself, without a bit of growth. As it pertains to The Officers Academy, I think this is especially pronounced, as working alongside monarchs and war heroes from all corners of the globe means that he has a perfect mirror to see exactly where he lacks. It's become a sore spot, even, in his near-two years here. I think he's getting better! But he's not there yet.

Romantic relationships. This is one that's definitely more of a TOA-exclusive pain point for him, albeit one I really haven't had the chance to explore. It also takes a bit of a different form than I think would suggest from his general attempts at wooing the ladies. I do think, given proper chance to observe couples that have years of history behind them, it would strike a nerve. Lorenz's conception of relationships is both shallow and not. He desires an equal, and clearly wants to put in the work to search for them, but the disconnect between his own failed attempts at flattery (that absolutely baffle him when they backfire; again, that lack of self-awareness comes back to bite him!) and the ever-present need to continue his family legacy gnaws at him. TOA has given him... a lot more present and pressing concerns, so that aspect of his character has largely been put on hold, but it's definitely present, and something I'd like to explore more. I think he craves the intimacy of a long-term relationship more than most, having that unshakeable trust in each other, and that desire sometimes conflicts with what he sees as the more pragmatic and responsible reasons for having a relationship. As of right now, this is an undeveloped sort of thought I've had in the back of my mind, but I do think it could bloom into a pain point, given time!